1971 Mercedes-Benz 200-Series Additional Info:

This 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Roadster shows 81,822 miles and is a US-spec 4-speed manual example with air conditioning. It is believed that slightly over 800 US-spec cars were built in 1971, of which approximately 10% had a manual transmission. Of those 10%, around 25% came with air conditioning from the factory, making this SL a rare specification. Other factory options include a rear window heater and Becker two-band radio. The car has been kept largely original with one repaint in the 1980s. The original engine and transmission remain in the car, and a recent service included brake work, a full tune up and new fluids.Finished in red over black, the car retains its original ‘Pagoda’ hard top, which is in excellent condition. Hubcaps and tires are in good condition. The soft top is original and is in perfect condition and fully functional.The car was repainted in the 1980s and was a good match to the original finish.Exterior chrome and trim are excellent. Side trim, bumpers and headlight surrounds are excellent. The door handles and trunk handle remain original and in good shape.The trunk is in very good condition, retaining the original spare, jack, and tools including the top wrench. The trunk floor is also in nice condition, as are the shock towers.Carpeting is original and well-preserved. The original owners manual is included with the car.The dashboard and instrumentation are both in fine working condition with functional gauges. The wood could use a resurfacing if desired by the new owner. All of the controls are functional, including the heater switches.This SL is in good mechanical order, with the 2.8 liter inline six-cylinder engine recently registering around 160psi compression across all cylinders. Clutch engagement is solid and the transmission is in perfect working order.Underneath, the vehicle is straight with no rust or damage repair apparent.